Hydraulic conveyer



Feb. 22 1927.

F. L. WARD HYDRAULIC CONVEYER Filed April 1, 1924 aH'oz 1121. 9

I 20 which'tends to cause th Patented Feb; :22, 1927.

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Application filed April 1,

The invention relates to apparatus for hydraulically conveying sand and gravel from one point to another and consists in certain improvements which-enable a max 6 imum load to be conveyed with a minimum power output, and this results in a greater efliciency than with the present type of apparatus.

In the present state of the art, it is usual 10 to employ a sand sucker for drawing in the sand an gravel fromthe river bed or other startingpoint of the system, the material then passing through a rotary pump and finally travelling through the outlet conduit to the point of dep0sit-. With this arrangement it frequently happens that the inlet becomes choked up due to the character of the material adjacent thereto, thereby decreasing the velocity through the 'onduit e load'to drop out of suspension. For this'reasonit is necessary to provide excess power in the pump forany given system to insure the proper funcioning of the conveyer under all conditions of operation without danger of the dropping of the load. .v

In my improved apparatus I have devised a hydraulic conveyer system designed to prevent any possibility of dropping the load, while at the same time utilizing a minimum amount of power for conveying thematerial to any predetermined distance. This has been accomplished by introducing the sand and gravel into the conveyer conduit by auxiliary means, thereby eliminating the sucking of the material through the pump and the consequential fluctuation of the velocity in the delivery conduit. In my A preferred form of device the solid material 40. is introduced into JVltll the hydraulic delivery conduit through valve controlling apertures, thesehoppers beingprovided' with sealing means for introducing an auxiliary stream of water to aid in the feeding of t e material to-the main conduit, This construction is more fully hereinafterfdescribed and ill lustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the hydraulic system;- and p Figure 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. L The centrifugthe inlet conduit B and the outlet conduit 0, 5 thelatter extending forwhatever distance over which the conveyer system is designed catingwith the conduit throu ways E and E, the latter being preferably" ducing the solid hoppers communicating.

covers and with the'cover G is open while a1 pump is provided withdoundt-to be more practical than 1924. Serial n. 703,444.

to operate. This conduit is alsoof substantially uniform crosssectional area and unobstructed throughout its entire length, thereby allowing the fluid passing therethrough to have a substantially constant velocity. Above the conduit C are arranged a pluralityof hoppers. D and D communigh the passageinclined to the direction of flow through the conduit C in order to cause a suction within the hoppers due to the velocity of flow through the conduit.

and E are preferably F and F, while the hoppers are provided with covers G and G hingedly connected to the hoppers at H and H a? adapted to The passageways E seat upon the respective-flange I and I to seal the hoppers. In order to aid in intromaterial fro the hoppers into the mam conduit 0 I have rovided the branch conduit J leading from t 1e pump A andtcommunicating with the respective hoppers through the branches J and J both of which are controlled by suitable .valves K and K. '5 r With the arrangement as described, the

pump A is constantly delivering fluid through the conduit C during the operation 1 of the system-and the sand avel or other solid material is alternative y delivered to the hoppers, the hopper receiving the material havingthe cover in open position and the-valve in closed osition, while the other hopper previously led with maand controlled by valves terial has the cover closed and the valve open. With this arrangement the solid material is drawn into the conduit 0 through the passageway E,.while the water. is delivered to the upper portion of the hopper through the conduitJ'. As soon as one hopper has been emptied and the other hopper filled the valves ,F and K are closed while the valves F and K' the cover G is closed. The material will then be fed to the conduit through the passageway E, while the hopper D may be filled witli gravel 'by any suitable auxiliary feeding mechanism such, for instance, as the ordinary scoop bucket dredge.

are opened, and

The system, as outlined above, has been sand sucker for it enables a larger amount the usual of material to, be conveyed with .a certain sized pump, and since the liquid is forced through the delivery conduit at a constant rate, there is no tendency for the material to drop out of suspension and interfere with the proper functioning of the apparatus.

It will be noted that the conduit G is unobstructed through its entire length, and this permits the maximum flow of water for a certain size pumping mechanism.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a hydraulic system for conveying material in sus ension, the combination with a pump, 0 an" unobstructed delivery conduit for said pump, a plurality of hoppers communicating with said conduit at longitudinally spaced portions thereof, valves for said hoppers, covers for sealing said hoppers, and valve controlled conduits leading from said water pump to the respective hoppers.

2. In a hydraulic system for conveying material in suspension, the combination with a pump and an unobstructed delivery conduit extending therefrom, of a plurality of hoppers, each communicating with said conduit through a passageway inclined to the direction of flow through said conduit, said passageways communicating with said conduit at longitudinally spaced points thereof, means for introducing liquid into the upper (portion ofsaid hoppers, and covers for sai when in closed position.

hoppers adapted to seal the same 3. In a hydraulic system for conveying material in suspension, the combination with an unobstructed main conduit and means for flowing water therethrough at a substantially constant velocity, of a pair of hoppers, connecting conduits extending between said hoppers and said main conduit inclined in the direction of flow through the latter, said connecting conduits communicating with said main conduit at lon-' gitudinally spaced points thereof, means :for sealing said hoppers, a water supply conduit communicating with each hopper and valves in said connecting conduits for preventing communication with said main.

substantially constant velocity, a p urality of hoppers for solid material communicating with said conduit at longitudinally spaced points thereof, valves associated with said cation of the same with said conveyer conhoppers for controlling the communi-- duit, and means for sealing said hoppers when the valves are open.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

. FREDERIC L. WARD. 

